Lyn Update and advice needed

Terry

I hope that you feel comfortable with all your choices mentioned by the doc's so that you will be able to choose a facility closer to home.  I think there are a lot of us on the south end of Indy who would be happy to help you in any way we can if you choose to be down here.  I pray you find peace and ultimatally know in your heart you made the best decision possible for Lyn.  Its very obvious to everyone how much you love and care for Lyn and want the best for him.  Just pray that God will help guide you to what is best for you both.

Peace and Love be with you.
Jeannie

Terry,
Let your heart decide, after you visit these places you will know in your heart which one is right  for you and Lyn.

Terry,

My SIL was in Seaton and got very good care.  She had the stroke during surgery.

My brother went through what you are going through now with the Drs telling him that she was pretty much gone, just a shell.  It's been a struggle for her, but now she is going through physical therapy and can sit up by herself for a little while, can move her arms and they are using the tilt table to get strength back to her legs.  Her biggest hurdle was that most strokes affect either one side or the other and hers affected her left arm and right leg. 

Do what you feel lead to do.  We will be praying for you.  

Julie 

Living on the South side, Terry...I have heard nothing but good about Kindred and have known people with family members who have been there.

Michelle

Terry,

I'm so glad they were able to give you some choices. I know it a way, that makes it harder because of wanting to choose exactly the right one...but, at least there's choices. We weren't given any choices really except for Seton. Because of what my step-daughter has recently gone through with the brain surgery, I learned of another one that is also affiliated with St. V's that would had been really good for the condition I was in.

Anyway, I know nothing about Kindred or Select Care. Seton was very good for me (not as good as the one Shellie was at would had been though ...I don't think). The best thing about there was the atmosphere. I felt 'at peace'. The worse thing...for the condition I was in...was that they did NO physical therapy with me at all on the weekends. Since I went there on a Friday evening, and since St. V's was walking me & doing physical & occupational therapy every day, I felt like I started off at Seton with a 2 day set back. They initially put me upstairs because they didn't know how bad of shape I was in. That floor, it was pretty novel to have a patient who could talk so all of the nurses would stop in just to chat. That was nice. Then on Monday, I was moved down to the 1st floor. Well..those nurses were very over-worked most of the time. They didn't want to have to take the time to move my wound-vac (it wasn't a portable one), my IV's, etc so they put a toilet by my bed. I was crushed! Going to the bathroom was my only opportunity to try to walk and they just took that away from me. Not to mention, it's one thing to excuse yourself to company to go into the bathroom to do your business but I certainly would not do it right by the bed! I wasn't going to ask them to leave the room so I could and then have it stinking the rest of the visit either! So..I would hold it all in and end up in pain. Which..that brings up another thing. The first day I was on that floor, from the time I asked for pain meds to the time I got them, over 3 hours had passed! I went from a 3/4 to a 7/8 which meant instead of vicodin, I needed a morphine injection to get it under control. That was the only time they did that. I think that time was enough for them to learn that when I said I needed something for pain, we couldn't wait & see if it'd go away! They did do the physical & occupational therapies during the week so by the next weekend, I was moving better. They had also got me a portable wound-vac so I could use the bathroom instead of the potty chair. I wasn't on a continuous IV anymore so I didn't have to worry about the pole either. I just had to be careful of my pic lines. No problem. Then I got moved again. There was another Johnson next to me and they didn't want to risk any mix-ups on meds (like there was on food trays) so one of us had to be moved. The was me. As it turned out, that was a good move. I was moved to the far end of the hall and I had no neighbors nearby so it was nice & quiet.

I know that I painted a not so good picture of Seton here but I wanted you to know all of the negatives as well. The people were very nice..just overworked like I said. I loved the therapists. The upstairs floor I was initially in (where I would bet Lyn would go to) was fantastic. The nuns there were just fantastic. Sister Ann will forever be close to my heart.

If I were in your position, I would check out Select Care as well....and then choose between it and Kindred so that Lyn would be closer to home. No place is going to be perfect. I think you'll know though when you walk in there though. At Seton, you rarely saw patients out & about. Either we were in the therapy room or we were in our room. Period. At the one Shellie was at, the patients were dressed & out in wheelchairs, etc. They were not just staying in their rooms. Where that would had been a better choice for me...Seton was the best choice at the time for the knowledge we had. So...go with the choices you have...and go with your gut feel. You'll do the right thing because you're doing it out of love.

Sherri

I do not know anything about these facilities. I know that you will make the best choice. I have been thinking about the 2 of you daily. If you want a visitor on Thursday I am available. Jana

Terry,

I don't know anything about the facilities you've listed - I HATE to say this but I would check with your health insurance before moving him to either of the facilities.  I work in insurance at a hospital and you may not HAVE a choice where Lyn goes for care.  Your insurance may only pay for certain places.  I see this all the time and most people don't know to call their insurance and see if our facility is in network and IF it's not your looking at major expenses.

I hope your taking care of yourself Terry!  Mom and I have added your family to our prayer chain at church.  Lord knows you can't have too many people praying for you!!

Huggs!
Frankie

I just want to let you know that I will be praying for both you and Lyn.  I believe in miracles and God always knows best.  Please take care of yourself.  Tell us more about how you are doing too.  I wish only the best for both of you.

Terry,

Please do not choose Select Care Hospital in Greenwood.  My sister was there, and they allowed her to lay there for weeks with Pneunioma  and was not doing anything about it, until here heart stopped and then she was rushed to St Francis in Greenwood, then to St Francis in Beech Grove.  Now she is at Regency at Castleton.

I know nothing about the other 2, but I do not have anything positive to say about Select of Greenwood.

Terry,

  I am so sorry to hear about Lyn and your situation.  I know how bad all of this can be. I took care of my mother for the last 6 years of her life.  Now, I am taking care of my grandmother and my father.  I know I am young, but I have quite a bit of experience in medical care and crappy decisions. 
   First, let me say that my mother was in MANY diferent hospitals.  It's a joke that I can navigate almost every hospital in Indiana b/c of taking care of my family.  I have found that the care at all the hospitals are hit and miss.  You are ALWAYS going to find that they don't  care for your loved one they way you think you would.  You are going to ring for a nurse and wait longer than you think you should.  You are going to think the food is awful.  You'll have good nurses and bad ones.  The doctor will come in when you are not there and you will spend days trying to catch up to him to find out what his prognosis is.  You will have to ask repeatedly for things that you feel they should be on top of....it's just the nature of the beast.   I'm not trying to be negative.  I am just being honest.  And when you have bad days....or a day with a nurse that should have worked as an assassin instead of a nurse... you will question if you made the right choice.  
  My mother was in Seton when it was just a floor of the Carmel St. V's ('98).  She was there for 6 months.  She was not suppose to live and most of the people there at that time did not.  They took decent care of her.  When my mother got out the bills were astronomical (my mother exhausted a lifetime insurance policy <$1mil> years before she passed).  They were wonderful with my father.  They wrote off most of the bills realizing he could not pay them.  What they  did require him to pay they took payments on.  I have to say that Frankie's idea about calling the insurance is VERY important.  You need to find out which facility they will cover.   You may not have to chose between all three.
  I have gone months driving over an hour to get to my mother.  It was HARD on us.  So, in the end, I think it would be good to pick one closer to home.  Maybe do a little investigation of your own....making sure those are the only facilities.  Then I would visit all your options which will make you feel better later.  You won't second guess yourself as much if you have gone to all of them.  
  Frankly, I would be concered as to what DOCTOR you will be dealing with....I've always found that the hospital is only as good as the doctor.  They carry out his orders and a good doc will stay on top of them to make sure his directions are followed.  Plus, you want to have a doctor that you can trust and who makes you  feel comfortable.  
  My thoughts and prayers go out to you and Lyn.  Don't be too hard on yourself.  You can only make an educated decision....the rest is in God's hands.  Your dedication and love will guide you in the right direction.